Empire City's Darkest Nights
by DreamlandDenizen
Summary: The Ishina help to release villains from the past into the city. What hope does Empire City have when the resulting chaos threatens to turn each of the Supah Ninjas to the darkside.
1. Chapter 1

Conor removed the grating from the ventilation shaft, slid out, and flipped down into the hallway. The walls were off white, covered in faded and chipping paint. There were thick metal doors all along the length of the hall. Most of them were closed and bolted shut but one door was open. Conor, dressed in full ninja gear, stalked forward towards that one, moving with light soundless footsteps.

Two armed guards walked out of the cell numbered 'IX'. Conor took out the first with a roundhouse kick to the jaw. The other grabbed his radio and pressed the transmit button but before he could report the situation, Conor punched him in the throat, collapsing his airway. He gargled and gasped before he fell to his knees, and then flat on his chest. Conor stepped over him as he walked into the cell.

There was a man sitting in the corner wearing a strait-jacket. He was rocking back and forth mumbling to himself. For all the world he looked like an insane weirdo but when Conor looked at him he saw a very valuable partner. Just what he'd need if he was going to finally finish the last of the Fukanaga clan.

He walked over to the man and undid his jacket, freeing him. "I hear they call you Dollhouse."

The man nodded.

"How would you like to be my friend?"

A creepy smile spread across his face. "I've always wanted a Ninja; almost had two once."

"I can give you three," Conor said, wiggling three fingers. "Do exactly as what tell you and you'll have the biggest doll collection of all time bro. You'll have the whole city. Follow me."

Dollhouse obediently rose to his feet and walked with him out of the cell. "Where are we going?" He asked.

"To get you your first toys. How would you like a Two Ton Harley?"

"Mint condition?"

"Still in the box," Conor confirmed, _and breaking him out will be just as easy_.

"_Awesome_."

Conor knew he'd need an army to take down the Fukanaga dojo and find the floating sword. He had learned a valuable lesson from his dealings with Quake: bad guys could be dumb and rebellious. If you wanted them to obey you, you shouldn't give them a choice.

* * *

><p>"What are you smiling about?" Mike asked Owen as the latter took a seat at their usual lunch table.<p>

"Empire City is once again a safe place. I can feel it my bones Fukanaga. The bad guys are all either in jail or running scared! Scared of us: the Supah Nin-!"

"Shhhh," Mike and Amanda both said at once.

Owen looked around to see a couple of people at the next table looking at him, listening. Charles from his algebra class had been carrying his tray to a nearby table but had stopped mid stride to listen. "—Nies," Owen finished, loudly enough for everyone to hear. He sighed heavily. "the Supah Ninnies."

"Yeah, nice save," Amanda whispered sarcastically.

"Well what else starts with 'Nin'?" he whispered back. "It's called thinking _on your feet_."

She covered the side of her face with one hand, out of embarrassment, as others looked at them confused, or amused.

"Oh, they still know it's _you _McKay, might as well embrace it," He said before starting in on his burger.

Owen embarrassing her, she was used to; it seemed to be his second favorite pastime, next to eating. What she wasn't used to was Julie, Mikes new girlfriend. Julie pulled up a chair to their table and squeezed in between her and Mike. Amanda had to scoot her chair around some to make more space.

"Hey Mike," Julie said in a super sweet voice that made Amanda want to barf. "How's your day been?"

"Great," he said back dreamily as he gazed into her eyes.

'_Great?'_ Amanda thought to herself. _Had he not noticed that Owen just dubbed them the Supah Ninnies in front of the whole school?_

"Hey Julie, want to see a magic trick?" Owen offered.

After she nodded Owen said his magic words, waved a hand, somehow caused a poof of smoke to appear at their table. When it had cleared Mike's hamburger had magically moved from his tray to Owen's. That seemed to be Owen's favorite trick. Although usually it annoyed Mike, this time he clapped right along with Julie. Owen bowed slightly and started in on his extra hamburger.

Mike never seemed himself around that girl. It was almost as if… Amanda leaned towards Owen and whispered: "Do you think she's hypnotized him or something? She could be a bad guy, trying to infiltrate our group. Listen to them -" Mike and Julie were arguing as to who was cuter in ridiculous high pitched voices. Amanda regarded them with disgust. "—that's just not normal."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous."

"We've fought an insect-human hybrid and a person who shapeshifts with jelly, but _this_ you think is ridiculous?"

"Exactly. _Relax_. Like I said, all the bad guys are scared," he said with that exaggerated cocky smirk of his. "All is well in Empire City. The bones don't lie."

* * *

><p>There were flashing red lights and wailing alarms as they entered the dojo late that afternoon. Hologramps appeared to them immediately. "Which would you like to hear first? Good news, bad news, or <em>really really<em> bad news."

"Bad news," Mike said, already headed towards the weapon rack for his nunchucks.

"There has been a breakout at the prison." A holographic video from a security camera appeared in front of them. A person dressed as a ninja was seen picking locks, entering cells, and leaving with some rather familiar prisoners: Snakeskin, X, Two Ton Harley, and many others. Everyone he left with was wearing a collar with a thin blue strip of light.

"Dollhouse," Mike growled.

"Dollhouse is a Ninja!" Owen shouted stunned. "We're all doomed!"

"No, he's probably working with the Ishina," Amanda said before turning back to hologramps. "What's the really really bad news?"

"This feed is a few hours old," Hologramps continued. "Currently, the Ishina clan and the escaped prisoners are headed this way. It appears they know where we are, which means they know your secret identities."

Terror started to sink in at that point. Bad guys they had been dealing with for quite some time, but this was the first time the fight was coming to them. The first time their identities were known. They didn't have much hope. They could be attacked at home… or even at school.

"That's not a surprise, Owen tends to shout it out," Amanda hissed.

Owen glared at her.

"You must remember," Hologramps interrupted. "Now more than ever it is important that the three of you trust each other and _work together_, as one."

The three of them nodded and Owen asked for "The good news?"

"The good news is that there is still hope. There is still time to run."

"You want us to leave? Abandon the dojo?" Mike demanded. Hologramps stern expression answered his question. "No! We can't."

"There is no choice. You cannot face them. Even with Yamato you're no match. Mike you must take the floating sword and watch over it, but you must NEVER attempt to use it. If you do, it will be a danger to yourself and those you care for. If you remember nothing else I tell you, remember that."

"How about me?" Owen asked. "Can I use it?"

"Owen, in your hands a butter knife is a danger to yourself and others."

"That was a one-time mistake," Owen protested as he and the others rushed to their suits. "it was all buttery and slippery -" He shuttered at the memory of it. "- It could have happened to anyone!"

Yamato chimed in: "At least we got you and Mike to the hospital in time."

"Time is short," Hologramps said. "You must hurry."

Once they were all suited up, Hologramps gave them directions to the hiding place of the sword; it was another cavern connected to the dojo by a dangerous stretch of tunnels. He told them to get all the tools they needed because they wouldn't be returning; once they removed the floating sword from its resting place, the tunnels would collapse and the dojo would self-destruct. They'd have to leave the cavern through an escape hatch.

Mike deactivated Hologramps and started downloading him onto his cell phone as Amanda stuffed her pockets with throwing stars and Owen gave a teary goodbye to the ninja-cycles that they never got to use.

The dojo was quiet with Hologramps gone. Mike had a moment to think.

With a wave of his hand he brought up the security videos from the cameras around the house. He could see the Ishina ninjas and the escaped prisoners converging across the lawns.

"They're here already," Amanda said. "We better hurry and get the sword."

"No," Mike said. In the frame he could see Two Ton Harley throw aside his dad's car like it was cardboard. "My dad's here… we can't leave him."

Yamato marched over. "I'll protect Marty. You do as your grandfather told you."

"But grandfather said you were no match!" Mike protested.

"And neither are you. Now go!"

Mike, Owen, and Amanda looked at each other for a moment.

"If you say run I'll run," Owen told Mike. "If you say fight I'll fight."

"So will I," Amanda said. "The three of us together."

Mike looked from the security video to the tunnel that Hologramps had told them to go down. He thought of his father, of the floating sword, of the horde of villains, and of his destiny. He didn't know what to do and he only had seconds to decide.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading. Please leave a review.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

"Freeze scum," Martin Fukanaga growled with a hand just over his holster. "I don't want to use this, but if you take another step I'll have _no choice_."

Martin took a careful step towards the perpetrator who took a step forward as well, mirroring his movement exactly.

"That's it," Martin growled as he whipped his flashlight free of the holster. Immediately he shone it, from the hip, towards the other man's eyes.

The perpetrator was actually his reflection in his bedroom mirror, and the beam of light reflected into Martin's own eyes. Blinded, he stumbled backwards and tripped, falling on his back. He groaned in pain, laid there for a moment, and then rolled over to his hands and knees. He blinked furiously trying to ward off the spots of color that clouded his vision. "Not my best idea," he grumbled to himself.

Just then the doorbell rang.

His vision had just about cleared by time he opened the door to his visitor, but all the same he couldn't believe who he was seeing. "Suzi? Suzi Scott?" He said, almost dumbfounded. She was an old school mate of his and (before she was arrested) Mike's guidance counselor. "But how did you…? I thought you were in jail!"

"Out early on good behavior," she said marching into the house before he had a chance to say more. She was wearing a body suit and cape made out of some sort of strange glossy material. She ran her finger along the thick collar she was wearing that emitted a blue light. "Lately I've been a _very_ good girl."

"Ah that's good to hear," he said backing away as she approached him. "I—I figured you were a decent person." He had back peddled all the way into the dining room but she was still just a few inches in front of him as she stalked forward. "So did the school take you back?" he asked, his voice cracking nervously. "I hope so, I always say people deserve second chances."

"They did actually," She said as his back hit a wall. She leaned in so they were nearly nose to nose. She paused for a moment before saying, "I'm here for Mike, you wouldn't know where he is would you?"

"Um, he's in his room. Is he in some sort of trouble?"

"Oh, that would be putting it lightly. Which way is the room?"

He had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He patted his pockets looking for his cell phone but it wasn't there. He was overcome with worry for his son, and by mistake, he glanced at the staircase that led up towards his room.

She grinned at him. "Thank you Marty." She patted him on the cheek and then started off towards the staircase.

He grabbed her arm. "Hold on," he said attempting to sound firm instead of frightened.

In the blink of an eye she spun around and kicked him in the ribs. He winced in pain and fell to the floor. As she marched up the stairs, more people entered the house, most of them wearing ninja outfits, the others, familiar faces: criminals who'd been put away earlier that year.

Martin scrambled to his feet and grabbed the handle of his flashlight. "Freeze scu—." He was cut off as a ninja pushed passed him rudely, following Ms. Scott up the stairs.

Just as the lot of them got to the top, and disappeared onto the second landing, they all came tumbling noisily down the stairs again. Martin winced at each loud 'thump' that sounded on their way down. He'd fallen down a flight of stairs once himself so he knew how painful it could be. He thought to offer them some of the painkillers he had in the bathroom upstairs, on the condition that they leave immediately.

"You all have the wrong house," A mechanical voice said. A robot emerged at the top of the staircase and started marching down towards the pile of ninjas and felons at the bottom. "The loser convention is two blocks down," it finished as it neared the ground floor.

Martin stared at the robot, stunned. He had seen increasingly odd things over the last year, but this easily took the cake.

The bad guys fanned out into a semi-circle around the foot of the staircase and started attacking all at once. Swords glanced off of the robot's exterior; punches had no effect on it. It easily threw opponents this way and that. Martin considered helping but it looked like the robot had things under control.

Just then, the smallest ninja said, "Harley, crush this tin can. Now!"

Immediately Harley, the biggest of the bad guys, kicked the robot square in chest, knocking it over. Harley stomped on the robot's metallic head again and again as it struggled, in vain, to get up from under the big man's weight. The whole house shuttered with every blow. Martin could hear the sharp creak of metal deforming, and the crackle of the wood foundation of the house breaking beneath them.

Martin charged forward and slammed his shoulder into the giants gut, meaning him to push him off of the robot. The man didn't budge, instead he picked Martin up with one hand and flung him. He landed in a heap on the bottom few stairs.

"Martin," The robot said, it's robotic tone shifting unnaturally; glitching. "Run."

"But I can't leave Mike and Amanda… and Owen," he added the last reluctantly.

The stomps continued. Martin had to brace himself against the wall to not fall over from the tremors. He knew the thing on the ground in front of him was just a machine but still, his eyes started to tear up as he watched it's face cave in.

"They're safe." The machine's voice was low and deep now. It seemed just moments away from dying out. "They've run away alre-e-e-ady."

Smoke started rising from the flattened lump of metal that once resembled a head. Harley stepped back to admire his handy work.

After a moment, once they were all sure the robot was finished for good, the smallest ninja approached Martin. "Out of the way," he barked. His voice sounded a bit familiar. He raised his sword, the look in his eyes clearly promising Martin that he would slice him in two if he didn't do as he said.

Martin didn't know whether or not the robot had spoken the truth, but he certainly wasn't going to bet Mike's safety on it. He drew his flashlight, brandishing it as a weapon. "You're not getting up these stairs," Martin said as he looked over the crowd of bad-guys in front of him. The fear and shakiness in his voice was now gone. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as an animalistic instinct took over; the instinct to protect. His grip tightened on the handle of the flashlight. "Not if the Mart-attack has anything to say about it."

What came next happened so quickly that Martin's high-pitched shout didn't manage to escape his throat until it was already over: A dark figure flipped over his head, spinning in front of him; there was a flash of steal; the clang of metal against metal; the sword got tangled in the chain of the dark figure's nun-chucks as he rotated in mid air; As the figure landed on one foot, he kicked the slightly smaller ninja in the chest with the other, knocking him over and disarming him all at once.

"Agh!" Martin cried stumbling back some. It took a moment for him to regain his composure.

"Officer Fukanaga," said another, who came down the stairs next. It was a ninja girl wielding tonfas. "You'd better call for back up."

"And tell them to hurry," said the third to come, he had a small device that extended into a metal bostaff. "I'm waaay too handsome to die so young."


End file.
